People

STUDIO STAFF

Oak Street Studio’s instructors are fun, energetic and full of life! They are dedicated to providing the highest quality of fine arts instruction available to young people. You will find that most of our instructors are working artists who show locally.

BETH WILBUR VAN MIERLO is an artist and the director, founder, and curriculum developer of Oak Street Studios, as well as an occasional teacher! She is an avid supporter of the arts, in particular art for young people. Before starting her business in 1999, she created and ran several summer arts programs in South Portland. She has initiated and taught several in-house art programs in Portland's local public schools as well as at a local mental health center. She holds a BFA in sculpture and drawing from the University of Southern Maine. Aside from teaching and operating the art institute, Beth is enthusiastic about creating and supporting social opportunities through the arts. For more than a decade she has been a supporter and volunteer of Shoestring Theater. She loves to travel and lives in the West End with her husband, twin sons and daughter.

Henry Wolyniec

HENRY WOLYNIEC has been a visual artist for over 25 years. He was educated at New York University and Columbia University, and received his BFA from the Parsons School of Design in 1979. Among his other artistic credits, Henry is the author and artist of two comic book series. He shares his talents in both comics and drawing classes. Check out his work at: henrywolyniec.com.

Megan C. Pollino

MEGAN C. POLLINO has been teaching classes, workshops, summer camps, and leading birthday parties at Oak Street Studios since 2010. Megan graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a B.F.A. in Art Education and a studio concentration in printmaking. Since graduation, Megan has worked in a variety of education settings, including Special Education and Early Childhood. Currently, she is the director of the Lebanon Community Learning Center in Lebanon, Maine. Megan's after-school program provides academic and enrichment opportunities for low performing and at-risk students at the Lebanon Elementary Schools.

Catherine LaBarre

CATHERINE LABARRE is originally from Québec, Canada. Catherine graduated from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in 2010 with a Bachelors in Theater and Visual Arts Education and moved to Portland early in 2011. She has worked for Oak Street Studios since Fall 2011. Catherine currently pursues a studio practice using various techniques such as painting, drawing, ceramics, digital art and installation art. She truly enjoys working with recycled materials. Catherine also likes to travel and participate in volunteer projects abroad. She has been to a few countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic and Haiti. You might see her painting kids’ faces on the First Friday Art Walk!

Betsy Scheintaub

BETSY SCHEINTAUB is a textile artist and clothing designer. She is the owner of Bobbin Studio and co-owner of Bobolink, a brand of high quality cycling apparel. Betsy teaches all levels of sewing to children, teens, and adults. She uses her extensive experience in fiber arts to include surface design techniques such as block printing, painting, and applique into her classes. She has a BFA in Fiber Arts from the University of Oregon.

Clare Flore

CLARE FLORE Studied Illustration and Printmaking at Chicago Art Institute, Grand Valley State University of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Kingston University of London. After graduating in 2006 with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Geology she began working as a Freelance Illustrator for a local children's book publisher and ran an enrichment program for at risk inner city youth as well as teaching workshops for the cognitivelty and physically disabled through VSA (Very Special Arts). In 2009, Clare moved to Maine to attend Maine College of Art's post-baccalaureate program in Art Education to further her passion for working with and empowering youth people through art and life skill delelopment. After graduating, Clare has settled in the Portland Community, working as a Montessori toddler teacher and teaching drawing workshops at Oak Street Studios. She finds inspiration in her work with children and within the landscape, culture and overall majesty that is Maine and shows her work often at local spaces and galleries in the area.> clarelillyfloreillustration.com

ANNE TOWNSEND has has worked with Oak Street Studios since Spring of 2015. Anne earned her B.F.A. in Illustration from Maine College of Art and her B.F.A. in Art Education from University of Southern Maine. Currently, Anne teaches part time for Presumpscot Elementary School in Portland. Additionally, she has taught community arts in southern Maine since 2010 for A Company of Girls, Rivertree Arts, and Chinese American Friendship School. Anne enjoys working with a variety of materials in her own studio from drawing, acrylic painting, collage, and mixed media sculpture. She loves sharing the creative process with her students and empowering them to realize their potential.

ROSE ALLARD has been teaching children's and adult art classes in the Portland area since 2012. Focusing mostly on textile based arts and sewing courses, she is happiest when working with fibers and fabric! Rosie graduated from Maine College of Art with a Bachelor's in Textile and Fashion Design. She is passionate about sustainability, art education and children's connection to sewn arts. When not teaching she enjoys working on her knitting machine or tinkering in the kitchen.

ANNE ACKERMAN earned her BA in Art from the University of Southern Maine and returned to earn her BFA in Art Education with a studio concentration in photography. Anne is a certified k-12 visual arts teacher and received the Art Education Discipline Award from USM for her approach to curriculum and her volunteer work with at-risk youth. Originally from Oregon, Anne moved to Maine at a young age. Time spent on both coasts has influenced Anne’s artwork. As a photographer, Anne is interested in capturing the textures, lines, shapes and patterns found within nature and her environment. Anne’s studio work includes black and white photography, collage, mixed media and clay.